Chylothorax
Background
- Lymphatic fluid in pleural space
- Due to disruption or obstruction of the thoracic duct
- Causes:
- Malignancy (50%), especially lymphoma
- Trauma (including iatrogenic)
- Cirrhosis
- Tuberculosis
- Sarcoidosis
- Amyloidosis
- Lymphatic filariasis
- Idiopathic
Clinical Features
Differential Diagnosis
Acute dyspnea
Emergent
- Pulmonary
- Airway obstruction
- Anaphylaxis
- Angioedema
- Aspiration
- Asthma
- Cor pulmonale
- Inhalation exposure
- Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema
- Pneumonia
- Pneumocystis Pneumonia (PCP)
- Pulmonary embolism
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Tension pneumothorax
- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis acute exacerbation
- Cystic fibrosis exacerbation
- Cardiac
- Other Associated with Normal/↑ Respiratory Effort
- Other Associated with ↓ Respiratory Effort
Non-Emergent
- ALS
- Ascites
- Uncorrected ASD
- Congenital heart disease
- COPD exacerbation
- Fever
- Hyperventilation
- Interstitial lung disease
- Neoplasm
- Obesity
- Panic attack
- Pleural effusion
- Polymyositis
- Porphyria
- Pregnancy
- Rib fracture
- Spontaneous pneumothorax
- Thyroid Disease
- URI
Evaluation
- CXR
- ECG
- CBC, BMP
- +/- BNP, D-dimer, Troponin to rule out other etiology
- +/- Bedside lung ultrasound
- Thoracentesis with classically white, odorless, milky fluid:
- Differentiate from empyema and pseudochylothorax
- Triglycerides
- Cholesterol
- LDH
- Protein
- Culture and gram stain
- Cell differential and count
- Differentiate from empyema and pseudochylothorax
- Serum LDH and total protein comparison
Management
- Thoracic duct leaks close spontaneously in ~50% of patients[1]
- Treat underlying cause (e.g. chemoradiation for malignancy)
- Refractory: pleurodesis, thoracic duct ligation, pleuroperitoneal shunt, pleurectomy
Disposition
See Also
External Links
References
- ↑ Bender B, Murthy V, Chamberlain RS. The changing management of chylothorax in the modern era. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2016 Jan. 49 (1):18-24. [Medline]